✂ Layup Lines: 3 big elimination games

Happy Thursday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA. What an awesome first round!

This 497 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

😸 Lynx advance, Mercury force Game 3

• Going into last night, the Lynx were 0-76 since 2006 when trailing by at least 14 points entering the fourth quarter (per ESPN). After a furious comeback capped by a Courtney Williams game-winner, they are now 1-76 and the first team to make the 2025 semifinals.

  • Minnesota outscored Golden State 26-11 in the fourth quarter despite a loud, raucous Valkyries crowd and now gets to rest while every other series goes to three games.

• Meanwhile, the Liberty were terrible in the early game and got blown out at home. New York’s starters shot 10-38 on field goals to complete the worst home playoff loss in franchise history and honestly, it was worse than that live.

  • The Mercury now get to host the do-or-die Game 3 on Friday (9pm ET, ESPN2) in what might be the most anticipated first-round game ever (remember, these used to be single elimination).

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🗞 Good reads

• The WNBA won won won with 1-1-1 (Defector)

• Playoff winners, losers: Liberty crowd questioned (USA Today)

• How the Lynx pulled off one of the best comebacks in playoff history (Star Tribune)

📺 Today’s games

• Both elimination games tonight are on ESPN2 — Indiana @ Atlanta (7:30pm ET) and Seattle @ Las Vegas (9:30pm)

  • Both home teams (Dream -7, Aces -8) are getting a lot of respect. Vegas winning 17 straight games only to lose in the first round at home to what has been an inconsistent at best Seattle team would make me question everything about everything, but you can maybe see a world in which Aliyah Boston or Kelsey Mitchell goes off, Atlanta doesn’t shoot well and Indiana sneaks in.

  • Regardless, getting two elimination games on the same night in the first round is a gift. Enjoy it!

  • In terms of bets, I finally picked some winners and went 2-0 last night, making us 2-4 in the playoffs. Tonight, I like:

    • Indiana / Atlanta under 154 total points scored

    • Seattle / Vegas over 159 points scored

    • Vegas -8

🌁 Ballhalla to go

• The Valkyries’ projected win total in May was 9.5. Instead, Golden State went 23-21 (the most wins ever by an expansion team), became the first expansion team to make playoffs and won awards for Most Improved Player (Veronica Burton) and Coach of the Year (Natalie Nakase).

  • Oh, and the Valks sold out every home game (including last night in San Jose) and set the all-time WNBA attendance record.

    • Good luck to Portland and Toronto next year. The bar for expansion teams has been set impossibly high.

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. I very much appreciate you reading and will see you back here tomorrow.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor